When I think of reindeers prance, dancer, and Rudolf are the first things to come to mind. The only “contact” I have had with the animals was in Norway this past semester. I went to a Christmas market and reindeer burgers were being sold along with moose and fish burgers. The thought of domesticating these animals seems strange and it was interesting how the novel couldn’t really determine how the process occurred either. I also thought it was interesting how the wild reindeer found today were thought to be impossible to domesticate, even when bred with a domesticated female. Have we changed the genes so much that the division between wild and domesticated is irreversible? This novel reminded me of goat song when it talked about the nomad lifestyle and how reindeer became commodity like animals within this time period. Is this just a natural part of the domestication process? The change from animal to commodity? The story told an interesting perspective of a domesticated species in a Communist political structure as opposed to the goats in a capitalist one. “This was my first inkling of the self-reliant and anarchic spirit that coexisted with the delicate discretion of traditional Eveny culture as well as with the nervous fear under Communism of doing anything that was not officially authorized.”

The relationship in the native cultures and the animals is far different than that of our domesticated species today. The hunters would say, “I obtained” some animal instead of glorifying the kill. Additionally, each part of the animal was used and distributed based on the family relationship. “If I deny a guest a share, that is the worst offense of all” The community aspect and the respect they had for the animals differs greatly from how we treat domesticated food animals.

It seemed to me after reading everyone’s posts about Goat song that the novel was more or less enjoyable for everyone to read and we all have a new found respect and interest in goats. While no one seemed to appreciate the graphic descriptions of some of the scenes in goat song pretty much everyone liked the deep connection he formed with the goats over the course of the story. Some common trends emerged in what seemed to interest people the most from the novel.

1. What was the impact on society when man moved from hunting to farming? Why did this occur? When the animal was considered a commodity how did labor become considered a commodity as well? Do you think a shift like this can/will happen again and in what way?

2. The relationship between humans/nature/animals, is it truly inseparable? Can it always be mutualistic for domesticated animals? Is it cruel and considered going against nature to alter animals for our own benefit?

3. Does the process of growing our own food have a correlation to human happiness or worth? What are the sustainability impacts of making our own food?

4. How did the pastoral influence change religion/language/mythology and genetics? What are the similarities in our language and animal/pastoral history?  Why do most people not know about this origination?

It seemed to me after reading everyone’s posts about Goat song that the novel was more or less enjoyable for everyone to read and we all have a new found respect and interest in goats. While no one seemed to appreciate the graphic descriptions of some of the scenes in goat song pretty much everyone liked the deep connection he formed with the goats over the course of the story. Some common trends emerged in what seemed to interest people the most from the novel.

1. What was the impact on society when man moved from hunting to farming? Why did this occur? When the animal was considered a commodity how did labor become considered a commodity as well? Do you think a shift like this can/will happen again and in what way?

2. The relationship between humans/nature/animals, is it truly inseparable? Can it always be mutualistic for domesticated animals? Is it cruel and considered going against nature to alter animals for our own benefit?

3. Does the process of growing our own food have a correlation to human happiness or worth? What are the sustainability impacts of making our own food?

4. How did the pastoral influence change religion/language/mythology and genetics? What are the similarities in our language and animal/pastoral history?  Why do most people not know about this origination?

I fully enjoyed reading the Goat Song and am happy I am leading the discussion on it since it was such a remarkable and interesting story. I also chose Goat as my project animal and this book has made me truly appreciate that choice. The story was a great way to see a bond develop between an owner and domesticated animal. The sustainability of the relationship was what stirred most of my emotions during the story. The goats truly became part of his family by the end and the relationship was much more than just a human taking products from the goat. The labor involved and the difficulty the goats caused at times shows how devoted he became to the animals and how much he appreciated them. The book has made me think about trying to be more sustainable and organic with the food I am eating and hopefully I am able to find realistic ways to do this.

It seemed to me after reading everyone’s posts about Goat song that the novel was more or less enjoyable for everyone to read and we all have a new found respect and interest in goats. While no one seemed to appreciate the graphic descriptions of some of the scenes in goat song pretty much everyone liked the deep connection he formed with the goats over the course of the story. Some common trends emerged in what seemed to interest people the most from the novel.

1. What was the impact on society when man moved from hunting to farming? Why did this occur? When the animal was considered a commodity how did labor become considered a commodity as well? Do you think a shift like this can/will happen again and in what way?

2. The relationship between humans/nature/animals, is it truly inseparable? Can it always be mutualistic for domesticated animals? Is it cruel and considered going against nature to alter animals for our own benefit?

3. Does the process of growing our own food have a correlation to human happiness or worth? What are the sustainability impacts of making our own food?

4. How did the pastoral influence change religion/language/mythology and genetics? What are the similarities in our language and animal/pastoral history?  Why do most people not know about this origination?